Untethered (Shifter Night Book 1) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  About the Author

  Also by Charlene Hartnady

  Excerpt

  Untethered

  Shifter Night: Book 1

  Charlene Hartnady

  Copyright © September 2017, Charlene Hartnady

  Cover Art by Melody Simmons

  Copy Edited by KR

  Proofread by Brigitte Billings ([email protected])

  Website updates and VA Simplicity

  Produced in South Africa

  Published by Charlene Hartnady

  PO BOX 456, Melrose Arch,

  Johannesburg, South Africa, 2176

  [email protected]

  Untethered is a work of fiction and characters, events and dialogue found within are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, either living or deceased, is purely coincidental.

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews no part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to digital copying, file sharing, audio recording, email and printing without prior consent in writing from the author

  Created with Vellum

  This book is dedicated to my bestie. Your guy is out there somewhere, my friend xxx

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  About the Author

  Also by Charlene Hartnady

  Excerpt

  1

  Ana should never have agreed to coming to a place like this. The restaurant was a hive of activity. Every single table was taken. It was the best place to go to in town, so it wasn’t that big of a surprise that even the waiting area and the bar were full. Crystal glasses, linen serviettes, the whole nine yards. It wasn’t easy to get a table in here. The Red Mole was normally booked at least two weeks in advance. She’d only ever eaten here once for her best friend Edith’s thirtieth birthday a couple of months ago.

  Ana’s heart beat faster. Her hands felt a little clammy and a knot formed in her stomach. Who was she kidding? The knot had been there the whole day. It had just grown and tightened since walking in. She stopped for a second to catch her breath. Then stayed there, hand resting on the wall, for another five just to be sure.

  Was this normal nervousness or … something else?

  Was she about to …?

  She put a hand to her belly. Her breathing remained a little elevated, but nothing out of the ordinary. I have this. I do! Doctor Brenner had given her the go-ahead. It was just a stupid little date. Ana sucked in a deep breath and kept walking in the direction the hostess had pointed her. The table in the corner … to the left and …

  There.

  Right! Okay!

  She could breathe a little easier since he looked just like his online picture. A suit, dark styled hair and a megawatt smile. Her date stood up … good god, he was tall too. In short, he was really good-looking in a neat, professional kind of way. His profile said he was an accountant, he looked like an accountant. It was a positive start. She willed her hands to stop shaking.

  He stepped around the table and took a few steps towards her. “Hi, I’m Brett. You must be … Ana.”

  She said her name simultaneously, a nervous giggle escaped. Brett put his hand out and she shook it. His hand was soft, as was his skin. Please don’t let my hand feel sweaty. Please don’t let me embarrass myself.

  Brett let go almost immediately, a smile still on his face. “It’s so good to meet you. You look exactly like your picture.” He gave her the once over and she could tell he liked what he saw. She had decided to go with a plain black figure-hugging dress. It came to just above the knee. Ana had taken the time to do her hair and to put on a little make-up. In short, she’d gone to a lot of trouble.

  “So do you.” Her voice was a little high-pitched.

  “For a few minutes there, I thought you were going to stand me up.” He arched a brow.

  Ana smiled and shook her head. “I might be ten minutes late, but I would never not show.” At least, not without telling him first. The thought of cancelling had crossed her mind once or twice today.

  “Here, allow me.” Brett pulled a chair out for her.

  “Thank you.” She smiled at him as she sat down and he smiled back, taking his own seat opposite of her. So far so good. The knot in her stomach eased its hold just a smidgen and she could breathe a little easier.

  The waitress came around to the table and took her order. A glass of white wine. Something light and easy, just like she hoped the evening would go.

  Ana saw a tumbler of whiskey on the rocks already on the table. It was dripping with condensation. It looked like Brett had not only arrived on time but most likely, he’d arrived early. Another server came to the table with a basket of breads and a plate of different kinds of butter. “Truffle, herb and regular.” He pointed at each of the creamy mounds before walking away.

  “So, do you do this kind of thing regularly?” Brett asked as soon as they were alone, he leaned forward slightly in his chair.

  Talk about hitting her with a difficult question right off the bat. “Um … are you talking about dating, or …?”

  Brett chuckled. “Of course not, a woman like you must get asked out all the time. I’m sure you go on plenty of dates?”

  Yeah … no! She smiled, hoping he wasn’t expecting a reply. She couldn’t tell him that this was her first date in one and a half years. She certainly couldn’t tell him what a disaster her last date had been. She hadn’t even made it to the one before that. Not thinking about it!

  “I’m talking about online dating,” Brett answered, not picking up on her discomfort. “Do you do this a lot?”

  “This was the first time I tried online dating,” she answered simply.

  The waitress arrived with her chardonnay. “Would you like some ice with that?”

  Ana shook her head. “This is perfect, thanks.”

  “Are you ready to order your appetizers?” She held her pen poised over a pad. “The oysters are …”

  “Give us a couple of minutes, please. We haven’t even looked at the menus yet,” Brett said, pointing at the leather-bound menus in front of them.

  The waitress gave a nod. “No problem, take your time.”

  Ana picked up her menu. It would give
her something to do with her hands which ‒ thank god ‒ had stopped shaking.

  Brett drew her attention before she could open it. “Yeah, this is my first date where I had to swipe right.” He smiled. “I must say, I’m glad it’s not something you do all the time. I was a little worried about the kind of women I might meet through this type of service.”

  Ana wasn’t sure what to say to that so she picked up her wine and took a sip. She gave a small nod to show that she was listening.

  “Didn’t you find it weird having to sift through all the profiles?”

  “It was a little strange.”

  Brett picked up his menu but didn’t open it. “I guess we live in a world where it’s becoming more and more difficult to meet people in the regular fashion. I work twelve-hour days so …”

  “I can understand how that must make it difficult.”

  “Yeah well, one must work hard to get ahead.” He opened his menu but didn’t look down. “I recently made partner at my firm.” He took a sip of his whiskey.

  “Oh, that’s great. Congratulations!”

  “Just last month and four years early.”

  Ana frowned. “Four years?”

  “Yup, I had planned to make partner by forty. I’m only thirty-six so that’s sooner than I’d anticipated.”

  “It certainly is. That’s wonderful. You must be thrilled.”

  “I am.” He looked serious for a moment, his brow creased and his lips pursed. “I have a four-bedroom home, with a pool and a big landscaped garden.”

  “Oh!” If he thought to impress her with money, he was sadly mistaken. “That’s great!”

  “Complete with a white picket fence.” He swirled his glass. “Granite tops in the kitchen and marble finishes in all the bathrooms. It’s quite lovely.”

  She nodded, taking another sip of her wine. “That’s wonderful.”

  “All that’s missing is a family.” He was looking at her strangely, almost like he was judging her reaction. Maybe a guy like him had women coming onto him for his money.

  Ana put down her glass, giving another nod. Maybe he just liked the attention that money brought him. Well, he was barking up the wrong tree. She scanned through the appetizers, a couple of things catching her eye.

  “What do you do?” Brett picked up his own menu and opened it, he kept his eyes on her.

  “I’m a nurse at the Sweetwater Hospital.”

  “Oh!” He smiled. “How nice!” The way he said it was kind of patronizing.

  “I really enjoy my work, I’ve—”

  “I guess being a medical worker is something that could come in handy.” He rubbed his chin.

  Ana frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “In the home, that is. I’m sure you want to become a mother … have kids one day. Maybe even sooner rather than later?” He raised both brows.

  “Yes.” Her heart beat a little faster. “I would love to be a mom … one day that is.” Her chest tightened. Ana picked up her glass and took a big glug of wine, not sure where this conversation was going. Not liking the direction.

  “Shall I order some water?” He frowned, glancing at the wine glass still in her hand. He had a look of disapproval but she knew she must be reading him wrong.

  “Yes, that would be nice,” she answered, trying to be polite. Ana put the wine glass back down.

  He settled back in his chair and smiled at her. “It’s good to know.”

  “What is?” she asked, as Brett flagged down one of the waiters and ordered water.

  “Good to know that you want to be a mom.” He turned back to her. “It’s important to establish these things early.”

  What was he on about? He must have seen her confused look because he elaborated. “I’m looking for marriage and a family.”

  Ana took another big sip of her wine, her heart all a-flutter. Her stomach knotting back up. “This … um … this is our first date. It’s too soon to—”

  “It’s never too soon to make your intentions known,” he interrupted. “I’m looking for a wife … there, it’s out. I know that most women want marriage and security so I doubt I’ll have much trouble. I just don’t want to waste my time, is all. I realize that not everyone is looking for the same thing. Not everyone wants kids.” He paused. It was like he was waiting for her to interject if she had something to say. “That’s why I was a bit worried about using a dating app. I’d heard that the people you meet … the type of person … some of them are just out for a good time …” He pulled a face. “Hey, are you okay? You look a little flustered.”

  “I’m fine.” She tried to control her breathing. I can handle this. I can!

  Brett gave a small nod. “So, you’re not just here for sex, are you?”

  “No,” she blurted. “Not at all.” It’s fine! It’s all good.

  “Well, then we can relax and enjoy our date.” He narrowed his eyes, leaning forward in his seat. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  Ana gasped for air, her throat closing quickly. Please no! No!

  “Can I pour you some water?”

  Ana nodded. She was way beyond water. Way beyond trying to talk. Shit! This isn’t happening. It isn’t! The room was hot … that’s why she felt flushed. That’s why she couldn’t breathe. Damn! Dammit all to hell!

  Brett hurriedly poured water, some of it sloshed over the rim of the glass, his eyes were filled with concern. “You’re sweating.”

  Gee, I hadn’t noticed.

  She grabbed the glass and tried to drink some but it gushed over her lips and down her neck. Cold! Ana swallowed the little bit she could. It felt like a rock trying to go down a straw. Her throat was officially closed. The room was both spinning and crystal clear, all at the same time.

  Around them, waiters carried beautifully prepared meals and expensive bottles of wine. Diners chatted, drank and ate their meals, oblivious to the turmoil in the far corner of the room.

  “What can I do?” Brett was out of his seat. “Are you having an allergic reaction? Do you have medication in your purse?” He lifted her purse from the chair next to her. “Is it in here? Try to breathe slower.”

  Gee, why hadn’t I thought of that?

  Ana realized that she was being a bitch but couldn’t help it. She needed to get the hell out of there. She pushed her chair back, eliciting a hard scraping noise on the gleaming wooden floor. Oh shit! Now the people from the table next to them were gaping at her and one of the servers was making her way over, eyes wide.

  Out!

  Now!

  She had to leave. If she made it outside and to the safety of her car she would be okay. It was a pity, but she didn’t feel like that was going to happen. She was beginning to feel light-headed. Her stomach seemed to clamp and unclamp. Stars were beginning to flicker in and out of her vision. She felt dizzy … no, she felt … ill. Her legs might not work anymore but she needed to try.

  “Out,” she managed to somehow moan the word. She planted her hands on the table and used it to leverage herself up into a standing position. Well sort of. She was hunched over the table. Her glass of water tipped over, clanging as it hit, water soaked into the beautifully crisp white table cloth.

  “Ana,” Brett kept calling her name. He clasped her elbow tightly. “Sit. You shouldn’t be—”

  Ana twisted around, trying to push past him … trying hard not to … her stomach gave a heave and out it came. The apple she’d munched on before coming here and the wine, her vomit was sour … it was disgusting and it was all over Brett’s shoes, all over his left leg. He let go of her, taking a frantic step back. Then everything went black as she passed out.

  2

  Ash put his nose into the air and sniffed deeply. His already pointed snout elongated even more. His nostrils widened. He sniffed again, lumbering from one side of the clearing to the other, eyes shifting from left to right. His heavy fur bristled. The big male rose onto his muscular hind legs and gave another exaggerated sniff. The sound of his snuffling filled the
clearing. The rest of the sounds of the forest seemed to become drowned out.

  Winston could see that the male was agitated. He growled, landing heavily onto all fours before walking back to the spot he had just vacated. Winston sniffed the air as well and got … the edge of something … maybe … he ultimately got nothing. Crisp air, the scent of the nearby river. He could smell the earth, a squirrel that had recently run across this particular patch of earth. He could scent the daisies growing on a patch of moss nearby.

  He could scent many other things as well that were of little importance. What had gotten his friend so rattled? He watched as Ash ripped up the earth with his heavily clawed paws, frequently stopping to sniff some more. Then there was the familiar sound of bones cracking, of tendons reshaping.

  Ash’s low bear growl became less animal and more human … straddling the line between the two. He crouched down, fingers sinking into the earth. His body covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Ash looked his way and gave a quick lift of the chin.

  It seemed his buddy wanted to have a little chat. Winston pictured his human form, feeling his wolf retract, starting with his fur. It pulled into his skin, his limbs folding in on themselves. It hurt but it was a good kind of pain. “What is it?” he said, as soon as he was shifted enough to talk. His voice still held a guttural edge, his vocal cords still remembering those of his wolf.

  “Not sure.” Ash was still agitated. “Something … and yet, I can’t put my claw on what exactly.”

  Winston chuckled. “It’s a known fact that wolves have a better sense of smell than bears. I didn’t pick up a thing.”

  Ash sniffed again, even though there was no way he would pick anything up in his human form, despite the fact that his sense of smell was far superior to any mere human.